Explaining the results, Dr Alice Goisis told The Times: ‘First-time mothers in their 30s are, for example, likely to be more educated, have higher income, and more likely to be in stable relationships, have healthier lifestyles, seek prenatal care earlier and have planned their pregnancies.’

The results were drawn from data from the Millennium Cohort Study – a programme which follows the development of 18,000 British children.